Improved car-coupling



"WIDNEY Car Coupling.

Patented Apr 24, 1866;

s. .m v N Inventor:

AM. PHO I'O-LITHD. C0. N-Y. (OSBORNE'S PROCESS) NITEE STATESJAMES'VVIDNEY, ()F OARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED CAR-COUPLING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,238, dated April 24,1866,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES WIDNEY, of Carlisle, Cumberland county, Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Oar- Ooupling; and 1do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinalsection taken in a Vertical plane through my improved coupling. Fig.2 isa horizontal section through the same. Fig. 3 is a side view. Fig. 4 isa sectional view, showing the upper side of the interior of thecoupling-box. Fig. 5 is a view of the front end of the buffer. Fig. 6 isan enlarged sectional viewof the coupling-pin.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

This invention relates to a new and useful mode of constructingcoupling-pins which are used for connecting coupling-links tobufferboxes, said improvement consisting in so constructing the pinsthat they are permanently attached to the coupling or buffer boxes, and

operate to a much better advantage than coupling-pins which can beremoved from their places.

My invention further consists in a buffer which has a coupling-link andalso a couplingpin permanently attached to it, and which is soconstructed that by a simple adjustment of the link the buffer willserve either as a male or a female coupler at pleasure, andautomatically effect the connection when the cars come together, as willbe hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I willdescribe its construction and operation.

The buffer A is cast with a flaring bell-mouth and a contracted throatfor the reception of the male coupling-link.

A is a key, which is made of wrought or cast metal and inserted througha slot in the upper portion of the buffer, so that its small end shallextend nearly to the opposite or bottom side of the buffer. Sufficientspace should be left beneath the lower end of the key A to allow thecoupling-link D to pass back and forward to assume the two positionsshown in Fig. 1.

Immediately in rear of the key A an elevation is cast on the buffer-box,as shown at b,

Fig. 1. This elevation is surrounded by a recess, into which thecoupling-link D is placed when it is desired to have a female coupling,

as shown clearly in the sectional view, Fig. 2. When it is desired tohave a male coupling the link D is removed from its recess to theposition shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, by elevating the outer end ofthe link until its opposite end will pass over the elevation b and underthe key A. This will bring the inner end of said link between the frontedge of the key A and the rear edge of a trigger, B, which is pivoted,by means of a transverse pin, t, to the lower part of the buffer, sothat its upper end, which is arranged within a space, K, may be allowedto have a free longitudinal play, restrained only by a shoulder at 0,Fig. 1.

The vertical trigger B has a lip, 0, formed on its upper end for thepurpose of receiving upon it the lower end of the coupling-pin 0 whenthis pin is elevated to its highest point, and thus supporting said pinin the position shown in Fig. 1. The pivot t is located in such relationto the upper and lower ends of the trigger that the upper end willalways fall forward to the position shown in Fig. 1 when unrestrained,when it will be caught by the shoulder at 0. A notch, c, is formed inthe rear edge of the trigger to receive the rear end of the couplinglinkD, or that end of a coupling-link which is permanently attached to thebuffer, as shown in Fig. 1 in dotted lines.

A vertical opening is made through the forward part of the buffer toreceive the co upliugpin 0, as shown at w. The hole which is madethrough the upper portion of the bell-mouth is somewhat smaller at itsupper end than at its lower end, for the purpose ofpreventing the pin 0from being drawn through or detached from the buffer. This pin hasenlarged heads formed on or otherwise suitably applied to its ends, asshown in Figs. 5 and 6, and these onlargements, while they allow the pinto have a free vertical movement through its holes, prevent the pin frombeing detached, as above mentioned.

I construct the coupling-pins G as represented by Fig. 6 by flatteningthe sides of a round bar of metal, so as to give it an elliptical formin cross-section, and to leave a cylindrical head, 0, which is larger inone direction than the stem. The opposite end of the pin I reduce forthe purpose of riveting on the enlarged head (1 after the pin is passedup through the holes in the buffer. When this has been done the head 0will prevent the pin from being drawn out of its upper hole, and

the head will prevent the pin from dropping through its holes in thebuffer. It will be seen that I do not reduce the strength of the pins byflattening them, but rather increase their strength, as they arepresented edgewise to the draft or strain which is upon them.

The head 0 isintended to pass freely through the lower hole, w, andsufticiently far into the upper hole to allow the tongue 0 of thetrigger to fall beneath the pin when this pin is lifted up to itsfullest extent.

As a female coupling-box or buffer the link D is pushed back out of theway of the trigger B, and when the cars come together the link ofanother buffer enters the buffer A, strikes the trigger B, and causesthe pin 0 to drop down and thus eflect-the connection.

As a male coupling the linkD is drawn out to the position indicated indotted lines, and is held in this position by the key A, which preventsit from being pushed back into the buffer when the cars are broughttogether.

Directly beneath the key A is a hole, f, through the bottom of thebuffer, for the admission of a pin when it is desired to drive out thesaid key. Openings are also made through the sides of the buffer at h toreceive the hand or fingers to push forward the link 1) when necessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A coupling-pin for railroad -cars, constructed as described, for thepurpose set forth.

2. Providing the butter with a removable abutment, A, substantially asand for the pun pose described.

JAMES WVIDNEY.

\Vitnesses:

DAVID SMILEY, GEORGE SMILEY.

